Overview of The Bronx

Whether you are currently living in New York or thinking about moving New York, check out this guide to living in the Bronx. Whether you're in to shopping, the arts, sports, or everything and anything, the following overview will give you a good place to start when looking for some cool things to do in NYC.

Shopping

The major shopping districts in the Bronx include Bay Plaza, Riverdale/Kingsbridge shopping center, Bruckner Boulevard, and The Hub. The biggest and most popular of these is The Hub. It looks like a small version of Times Square and has even been nicknamed "the Broadway of the Bronx." Find it in south Bronx, between the Neighborhoods of Melrose and Mott Haven.

Arts and Culture

One of the highlights of NYC living is the rich cultural history of the Bronx. It is in this borough that hip hop music was born in the 1970's. More specifically, 1520 Sedgewick Ave. is said to be the exact location that rap music had its first glimmerings. DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa would throw parties in this building, which would include scratch competitions, break dancing, and what would later become known as rapping. Following these roots, many contemporary hip hop artists once called the Bronx home. This neighborhood is very important to African American culture and heritage.

The Bronx also houses many of New York's off Broadway theaters, museums, and art galleries. One of these is the Bronx Museum of the Arts, which contains over 800 works of art from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Other landmarks include the Pregones Theater, Lorelei Fountain, and City Island Historical Society and Nautical Museum.

Sports

One of the many perks to living in New York is being in close proximity to legendary Yankee Stadium. The site of the original stadium is now home to Heritage Field, a park site dedicated to Yankee History. The new stadium is now home to the contents of Monument Park, the outdoor museum that housed historic Yankees memorabilia and artwork.

Education

The Bronx is home to many public and private high schools as well as the following colleges and universities:

Fordham University: Fordham was the first Catholic higher education institution in the north east United States. Although it is an independent institution, Fordham stays close to its Jesuit roots. Other campus locations exist in the city, but the Bronx campus is the biggest in NYC.

City University of New York: The three CUNY campuses located in the Bronx are Hostos Community College, Bronx Community College, and Lehman College.

College of Mount St. Vincent: Originally an all girls school, the College of Mt. St. Vincent is now a coed, degree granting institution. Located in Riverdale, this Catholic liberal arts college also houses the Academy for Jewish Religion, a rabbinical and cantorial school.

State University of New York Maritime College: This University is the national leader in maritime studies and is home to both the Maritime Industry Museum and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Parks and Attractions

The Bronx contains a multitude of parks and other ways to get outdoors and enjoy nature that other boroughs don't allow. They include Pelham Bay Park, Van Cortandt Park, and Bronx Park, to name a few. Within the Bronx Park, there is the New York Botanical Gardens, which is home to the last patch of the hemlock forest that once covered the entire city. This patch of trees is left as a remainder of what New York City used to be, a memory of the city before skyscrapers and crowds of people. Bronx Park is also home to the famous Bronx Zoo, one of the largest and most popular zoos in the country.

Neighbourhoods

East Bronx: Pelham Bay Park, the larged in the city, is located in the East Bronx. This neighborhood is home to old tenement buildings, low income housing complexes, and single family homes.

City Island: City Island is known for its excellent seafood restaurants and homes on the waterfront. Some say that it has a small town feel, with one street lined with small shopping boutiques and restaurants.

West Bronx: The West Bronx resembles the East Bronx to a certain degree. It has many old tenement buildings and low income housing. There is also the more affluent neighborhood of Riverdale, Van Cortlandt Park, and the Grand Concourse, a large boulevard that runs right through the neighborhood.

South Bronx: The South Bronx has long been known as one of the poorest and most crime-ridden neighborhoods in the country. You might not want to be walking down any dark alleys at night in the South Bronx. It is also home to Yanke Statium and is bisected by the Cross Bronx Expressway.

Transportation

The New York City Subway System serves 70 stops within the Bronx for six different lines. These include the IND Concourse, IRT Broadway, IRT Dyre Ave., IRT Jerome Ave., IRT Pelham, and IRT White Plains Road. Major highways running through the Bronx include the Bronx River Parkway, Bruckner Expressway, Cross Bronx Expressway, New England Thruway, Henry Hudson Parkway, Hutchinson River Parkway, and Major Deegan Expressway. Most of the Bronx is also served by the city bus system.

Having Fun

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